British luxury automaker Rolls-Royce said on Wednesday it will invest £300m (R7bn) to expand its Goodwood plant to focus more on bespoke cars for high-end clients, featuring anything from gold sculptures to mother-of-pearl artwork.
As with other high-end automakers, Rolls-Royce has seen rising demand for high-margin, personalised car content from wealthy consumers.
In 2024, the BMW unit said its "artisans crafted exquisite details" that included solid 18-carat gold sculptures, embroideries consisting of more than 869,500 stitches, wood veneers including 500 individually-shaped pieces of wood and holographic paint finishes.
Rolls-Royce said the Goodwood plant expansion is to serve customers for its Bespoke services and Coachbuild programme, an invitation-only service where wealthy clients get to "craft an entirely original motor car".
The investment is the largest since the plant opened in 2003, when it employed 300 people and made one car a day, the company said. Today Goodwood employs 2,500 people and produces 28 cars daily, it said.
Rolls-Royce also said globally it sold 5,712 cars in 2024, a drop of more than 5% versus the 6,032 cars it sold in 2023, which it said was in line with its expectations as it switches over to new models.
Rolls-Royce to invest R7bn in UK plant to focus on bespoke cars
Wealthy clients get to craft an entirely original motor car
Image: Supplied
British luxury automaker Rolls-Royce said on Wednesday it will invest £300m (R7bn) to expand its Goodwood plant to focus more on bespoke cars for high-end clients, featuring anything from gold sculptures to mother-of-pearl artwork.
As with other high-end automakers, Rolls-Royce has seen rising demand for high-margin, personalised car content from wealthy consumers.
In 2024, the BMW unit said its "artisans crafted exquisite details" that included solid 18-carat gold sculptures, embroideries consisting of more than 869,500 stitches, wood veneers including 500 individually-shaped pieces of wood and holographic paint finishes.
Rolls-Royce said the Goodwood plant expansion is to serve customers for its Bespoke services and Coachbuild programme, an invitation-only service where wealthy clients get to "craft an entirely original motor car".
The investment is the largest since the plant opened in 2003, when it employed 300 people and made one car a day, the company said. Today Goodwood employs 2,500 people and produces 28 cars daily, it said.
Rolls-Royce also said globally it sold 5,712 cars in 2024, a drop of more than 5% versus the 6,032 cars it sold in 2023, which it said was in line with its expectations as it switches over to new models.
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